The Media’s Delicate Balance in Covering Concussion
It’s a very good thing, the increased awareness of the long term dangers associated with traumatic brain injuries suffered on the sports field. But with awareness can come fear, which might not always be a positive thing in the broader picture.
Irish media analysis firm Olytico pulled some stats on concussion coverage for me, data that showed an enormous spike in articles relating to concussion and sport in the Irish media last February. I included these data in a column for the Irish Times on the importance of the media’s role in their coverage of an important health issue.
The role of the media in reporting concussion is a delicate but important one. ESPN once had a regular NFL highlight segment called ‘Jacked Up’ where viewers were treated to replays of players getting laid out from huge hits while the presenter and panellists whooped in the background. Years on, things have changed. Young NFL players are now leaving the game because of concerns around brain injury.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland made a pre-emptive strike against CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy): retire voluntarily at 24 with faculties intact and without waiting for any warning signs. No matter what one’s view might be of Borland’s decision (and that of his team-mate Anthony Davis), it’s another pointer to an improvement in the general awareness of brain injuries.
The combination of Jonathan Sexton, George North and Mike Brown made February a peak event for concussion references in the Irish media, according to figures from media analysis firm Olytico.
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Apart from the big names in the above extracts, I also mentioned the name of Kenny Nuzum. Not a star, the now-departed Nuzum has offered rugby something incredibly valuable – a link between rugby and CTE. For the average Joe, perhaps the example of Nuzum bashing away in the trenches for years might strike more of an awareness chord than the glory boys on Sky Sports or endless Vined replays of big hits.
I received some very interesting feedback from Dr. Jon Patricios in researching that piece, sports concussion expert and consultant to World Rugby, for which I thank him. I included some brief excerpts from that in the article. I also received a note afterwards from Dr. Oliver Leslie, a note that I am happy to reproduce here (with his permission). As a member of the media myself I consider it quite interesting.
“I agree with you there are both positive and negative aspects of media involvement in the current environment surrounding concussion. Keeping in mind the principle of “first, do no harm”, the medical community has a responsibility to advocate for safety in sport. This is not limited to concussion but includes other things like fighting in hockey, equipment changes, rules regarding travel, pitch counts in baseball, etc. That said, concussion is a diagnosis which the medical community is still developing its understanding of. Until there are better prospective studies regarding concussion, the answer to many questions surrounding this diagnosis is ‘we don’t know’.
“On a fundamental level, I understand the goals of media and medical practitioners to be different, although they may align in some instances. However, I think it is difficult to have worthwhile scientific discussion and debate in the forum of popular media, and doing so has complicated the social and cultural environment in which concussion will be studied further.”
There’s also the question around the value that social media brings to concussion coverage. It’s something that I thought about squeezing into that column but decided against it. Dr. Patricios had offered a few short points on this topic:
Social media exposure has been equally important.
– Brings lay people and scientists/clinicians to the same forum.
– I follow Ben Robinson’s Dad on Twitter as a constant reminder of the responsibility of treating young players appropriately.
– I pick up useful educational links and scientific publications to which I may not have been exposed.
– Having a celebrity sportsperson with a large social media presence discuss concussion is a very powerful tool.
When you get down to it, the overriding principle is probably the same. Social media is micro-publishing, after all, and can be a great tool for creating awareness just like the “regular” media. But it can possibly be even more prone to hype. The echo-chamber is a potent force, and 140 characters is not terribly good at promoting nuanced development of thoughts.
As you can see, I’m not coming down hard on either side of this.
But then that’s probably the point.
This was a really interesting and well researched article, Andy! It’s definitely an area that needs more attention as sports injuries are a significant and sensitive topic that requires coverage. But there’s a difficult balance to strike, as it would be a shame if coverage of injuries etc put people off playing sports! I’ve had a good time picking up some new sports over summer using a site called my local pitch (it has a specific Dublin site! http://www.mylocalpitch.com/dublin/) and would really encourage anyone looking to book a court or join a pitch to have a look over there!